The cycling training/info thread

[lotus503]

Rather than cloud up the cycling tracking thread I thought we could start a new one for non mileage updates. Seems we have some cyclist here who like to talk shop, I don't want to cloud the update thread.

First up training with power and why it rocks.

1. Ignores RPE, headwinds, hills, average speed to give you a great metric for
consistent performance tracking.
2. gives realistic number to base training zones off of, HR is too dynamic and
unpredictable.
3. Gives tech minded data heads something to look at and obsess over.

Cons are cost

 

[RichieZ]

do you use a powertap hub or a crank based power meter?

 

[_Rick_]

Cons are cost

And loss of Zen

I ride without any feedback of how fast/ hard I am going except for the level of pain, and the rush of wind noise. I can still tell by my choice of gearing, how hard I am really going, but usually I want to focus everything on going just keeping going, as hard as is reasonable, considering that these legs have to get me home.

At times I do feel kind of tempted to meter the shit out of me, and signing up to strava is me partly giving in to that, but at least the ride itself still preserves that purity of riding out, with only the goal of coming home broken

 

[lotus503]

do you use a powertap hub or a crank based power meter?

I use a powertap hub based.

 

[lotus503]

And loss of Zen

I ride without any feedback of how fast/ hard I am going except for the level of pain, and the rush of wind noise. I can still tell by my choice of gearing, how hard I am really going, but usually I want to focus everything on going just keeping going, as hard as is reasonable, considering that these legs have to get me home.

At times I do feel kind of tempted to meter the shit out of me, and signing up to strava is me partly giving in to that, but at least the ride itself still preserves that purity of riding out, with only the goal of coming home broken

Yeah that's the great thing about the sport itself, people do it for many different reasons, without all of the data not sure it could keep my attention.

Ridng by RPE does however have its downfall with regards to training efficiency. But if your riding using RPE you probably don't care if your maximizing that time.